56-YEAR-OLD RECORD YIELDS TO WESTBROOK
Westbrook breaks Robertsons’ 56-year-old record, sinks buzzer beating three to eliminate Denver Nuggest from playoff hunt
Russell Westbrook broke Oscar Robertson’s 56-year-old NBA record with his 42nd triple-double of the season Sunday, then he broke the Denver Nuggets’ hearts with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer for a 106-105 victory.
That eliminated the Nuggets from playoff contention.
Westbrook had 50 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists in breaking Robertson’s record of 41 triple-doubles that stood since the 1961-62 season.
Westbrook’s record-breaking assist came with 4:17 remaining after a series of missed shots delayed his historic moment.
With his triple-double in the books, Westbrook scored his team’s final 15 points, including a 3-pointer as the buzzer sounded after a timeout with 2.9 seconds left.
Kyle Single inbounded the ball to Steven Adams, who fed Westbrook for the winner.
Danilo Gallinari scored 22 of his season-high 34 points in the third quarter for the Nuggets.
In Atlanta, Paul Millsap scored 22 points and the Atlanta Hawks took advantage of Cleveland’s fourth-quarter collapse to overcome a 26-point deficit and stun the Cavaliers, 126-125.
Kyrie Irving scored 45 points for Cleveland, and LeBron James had a triple-double with 32 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists before the four-time MVP fouled out in overtime.
Tim Hardaway Jr. added 21 points to help Atlanta beat Cleveland for the second straight time in three days.
The defending champion Cavaliers dropped into a tie with Boston atop the Eastern Conference. Both teams have two regular-season games remaining. If the Cavs and Celtics finish with the same record, Cleveland will get the top seed for winning the season series.
The Hawks wiped out a 26-point deficit in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Cavs 4418 in the period and forcing overtime on Millsap’s baseline jumper at the buzzer. /